A Culinary Journey from Canada to Alba

From October 21st to 25th, Alba Accademia Alberghiera – the branch dedicated to tourism and hospitality - will host 11 culinary students and 2 leads from the Culinary Arts Program at Niagara College (NC) for the international course Ancient Grains.

October is the prime season for Piedmont, especially in Alba, which has been a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy since 2017. The hills come alive during the fall due to the wine harvest, truffle season, and fresh produce from farmers. The Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato regions were designated as UNESCO-protected territories in 2014. Alba Accademia Alberghiera is an official technical partner for the 94th International White Truffle Fair of Alba, and like in past years, enrolled students get the opportunity to work alongside renowned chefs during the cooking shows.

The students will be arriving from Niagara College's Culinary, Tourism, and Beverage Studies division, located at the College's Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This unique campus houses learning enterprises such as Canada's first Teaching Winery, Teaching Brewery, Teaching Distillery, and Teaching Greenhouse.

The Ancient Grains course was accepted as an international study abroad experience by Niagara College’s Be World Ready (BWR) program, designed to facilitate real-life learning through education and international exchange.

Courtesy of Niagara College (NC)

The program will focus on the biodiversity of Italian grains, traditional products, and the local approach to popular Italian foods such as pizza, focaccia, and fresh pasta, as well as Piedmontese staples. The course will consist of hands-on laboratories and didactic visits, incorporating the academy's network of chefs, food producers, restaurants, and local experts. Chef instructor Paolo Taricco will lead the kitchen, and notable collaborators will include 3rd generation organic flour mill Mulino Marino, Enrico Giacosa - the cultivator and President of the Association Pane di Langa, the Truffle Museum of Alba – MUDET, and family-run hazelnut farm Az. Agricola Cascina Barroero.

In June, Ancient Grains was launched in collaboration with Austin Community College of Pastry Arts. Following this, Niagara College (NC) will be the second North American college to participate in the course.

Apro Formazione President Paolo Zoccola and General Manager Antonio Bosio highlighted how these higher education projects are part of Alba Accademia Alberghiera's internationalization vision and strategy. “Alba Accademia Alberghiera has a network of excellent partners such as Slow Food, ONAF, Renaia, FIC, Bocuse d'Or Italy Academy, WSET international as well as training institutions, colleges and universities in 22 countries. Thanks to its synergy with this network and know-how in recent years, it has devised very high-profile formats, which have been received positively by North American and European countries.”

Apro has just concluded the European think tank on training in tourism, Tourism Education for Future, which had the honor of including the participation of 6 European nations. The 3-day event was hosted and led by Apro Formazione in Alba.

In addition to playing an integral role in the European sector, Alba Accademia Alberghiera is also growing in new, historical international markets. Students from Austin Community College (ACC) and Niagara College Canada (NC) culinary departments will participate in the international course, Ancient Grains, created and facilitated by Alba Accademia Alberghiera.

Historically, North American colleges invest in study abroad programs, and these two acclaimed institutions have chosen Piedmontese cuisine and Alba Accademia Alberghiera, confirming Apro as one of the key drivers of the eno-gastronomy and tourism sectors.

Last year over 5,000 students and 1,200 companies took advantage of Apro’s services. Deloitte conducted a study on the Social Return on Investment (SROI) for 2022 and 2023, calculating that every euro invested into Apro Formazione generated 3.12 euros of value for the local territory.

The Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato were officially recognized as UNESCO-protected territories in 2014. In 2017, Alba was named an official UNESCO Creative City for gastronomy.

The summer of 2024 marks the launch of Ancient Grains – Products from Piedmont. The core of the two-week program will focus on the biodiversity of Italian grain, traditional products, and the local approach to some of Italy's most-loved foods like pizza, focaccia, and fresh pasta, as well as a focus on Piedmontese staples.

The course is divided between hands-on laboratories with didactic visits, incorporating the academy's network of chefs, food producers, restaurants, and local experts. Chef instructor Paolo Taricco will be at the helm, leading in the kitchen, and notable collaborators will include 3rd generation organic flour mill Mulino Marino; historical hazelnut nougat producer Sebaste Torrone; cultivator and President of the Association Pane di Langa, Enrico Giacosa; family run hazelnut farm Az. Agricola Cascina Barroero; cheese producer and breeder Renato Maunero; pizza maker and yeast expert Massimiliano Prete; and AAA alum and MICHELIN-Starred Chef Fabio Sgrò.

Students from the Austin Community College Culinary Department will participate in Ancient Grains from June 24th through July 5th, consisting of twelve pastry students accompanied by Culinary Arts Professor and department chair. ACC is ranked as one of the largest community

colleges in the US and houses students from 11 campuses throughout central Texas, with a total annual enrollment of more than 70,000 students.

The Niagara College Canada Culinary Program will participate with twelve culinary students as well as two chef instructos in the fall edition from October 21st to the 25th. Their award-winning college boasts the first teaching winery and teaching brewery in Canada. At Niagara College, more than 10,500 full-time students study in over 130 diploma, graduate certificate, apprenticeship, and bachelor’s degree programs.

Apro Formazione President Paolo Zoccola highlighted how these higher education projects are part of an internationalization strategy for Alba Accademia Alberghiera initiated in 2022. "Alba Accademia Alberghiera has a network of excellent partners such as Slow Food, ONAF, Renaia, FIC, Bocuse d'Or Italy Academy, WSET international, and training schools and colleges in over 22 Nations. Thanks to synergy with these networks and unique listening over the past two years, our courses were received positively by the American and European markets.”

Apro Formazione Director Antonio Bosio adds “The Italian Tradition refresher course created for chef instructors will include participants from North America, Finland, and Latvia for an intensive 4-day event curated by MICHELIN-Starred Chef Luciano Tona, Director of Bocuse d’Or Italy Academy, and lecture by 3 MICHELIN-Starred Chef Enrico Crippa.”

Twelve Austin Community College Students from Texas Earn Certificates After Completing Alba Accademia Alberghiera's Two-Week Ancient Grains Course

The Pastry and Culinary Arts students coming from Austin, Texas, graduated on Thursday, July 4, receiving their certificates of completion for the international course Ancient Grains. The certificate presentation ceremony included participants such as Deputy Mayor and Tourism Councilor Caterina Pasini, Tourism Board President Mariano Rabino, and local news media.

Austin Community College is one of the leading community colleges in the United States and maintains around 70,000 students enrolled in 11 different campuses spread across major cities in Texas.

After an experience in several schools in Europe (including Alain Ducasse's École in France) Austin Community College in Austin, Texas, chose Alba Accademia Alberghiera, the division of Apro Formazione for tourism and food & wine, and the two-week specialized course, Ancient Grains which is concentrated on the biodiversity of Italian grains, local ingredients and approach to some of the regions most beloved foods.

Through dedicated labs and didactic visits, Accademia Alberghiera was able to affirm its network within the region with some of the most respected experts in the industry. Participating partners and visits included: Mulino Marino, a third-generation organic flour mill; historic nougat company Sebaste Torrone; local baker Enrico Giacosa; Cascina Barroero hazelnut farm, goat cheese breeder and producer Renato Maunero, pizza maker and yeast expert Massimiliano Prete, and MICHELIN-Starred chef Fabio Sgrò, alumni of Alba Accademia Alberghiera.

Deputy Mayor Caterina Pasini addressed the students saying, "We have been so happy to host you, and I hope you can become witnesses in America of our territory, returning to the United States with a piece of our region that we entrust to you.”

President of the Tourist Board Mariano Rabino added that “Alba Accademia is a source of pride for us because projects like Ancient Grains and their international projection, which has now turned to Texas and in the fall to Canada, create new exchanges with the area of North America that is currently the most active presence in our territory.”

Apro Formazione President Paolo Zoccola and General Manager Antonio Bosio highlighted how these higher education projects are part of Alba Accademia Alberghiera's internationalization strategy. “Alba Accademia Alberghiera has a network of excellent partners such as Slow Food, ONAF, Renaia, FIC, Bocuse d'Or Italy Academy, WSET international as well as training institutions, colleges and universities in 22 countries. Thanks to its synergy with this network and know-how over the past 2 years, it has devised very high-profile formats and presented them to the American and European markets, which have responded positively.” “Already two colleges, one American and one Canadian, have chosen our formats for their specialization courses in Europe, and from Monday, July 8, Alba Accademia Alberghiera will also hold the Italian Tradition refresher course aimed at teachers and professionals from North America, Finland and Estonia for a 4-day high-level training with Chef Luciano Tona, Director of the Bocuse d'Or Italy Academy, and the study visit with 3-MICHELIN-Starred Chef Enrico Crippa.”

Press kit and photo gallery available here at this link https://bit.ly/AncientGrainAlba_gallery